Minutes into the earlier Senate debate, Democratic Sen. Pamela Lauria attempted to reinstate the language banning possession and use of prohibited firearms, contained in the House-passed version of the bill, but the Senate voted 25-12 to uphold Senate President Valarie Lawson's ruling that the move violated Senate rules.

Rhode Island’s Democratic-controlled state House has advanced legislation that would ban sales of certain semiautomatic rifles.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee is poised to sign into law a bill that will ban the sale and manufacture — but not the use or possession — of guns defined as assault weapons. Any uncertainty about the legislative path for the bill ended when the House of Representatives approved the measure on a 43-to-28